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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29071740">Nothing to Fear Anymore</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/irishnaturaldisaster/pseuds/irishnaturaldisaster'>irishnaturaldisaster</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>SBI Mafia AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Hurt TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Mafia AU, Protective Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Wilbur Soot, not by the main characters though, references to blood, sbi as a family, there's like one line mentioning it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:36:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,488</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29071740</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/irishnaturaldisaster/pseuds/irishnaturaldisaster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tommy doesn’t understand why they haven’t killed him yet.</p>
<p>He was given to them that night in a shady alley after spending the entire journey hearing about how they were going to torture him horribly and kill him without mercy. He knew the Watson family were notorious tortures and took great pleasure in doing it. </p>
<p>He was sure that offering him his own fully decked out room was just one step into their torture plan. </p>
<p>And he was positive that them giving him blankets and warm clothes was another part of it. </p>
<p>He wasn’t sure what asking if he wanted syrup and butter on his pancakes was about but he’s sure it’s got to do with something nefarious. </p>
<p>Or:</p>
<p>In which Tommy is sold to a rival gang and doesn’t understand that they’ve adopted him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Wilbur Soot &amp; Technoblade &amp; TommyInnit &amp; Phil Watson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>SBI Mafia AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2135682</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>84</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1952</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Completed stories I've read, Dream smp fics that help me live, Found family to make me feel something, MCYT Fic Rec, the best of dream smp</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Nothing to Fear Anymore</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello I am once again posting Minecraft fanfiction someone please stop me.</p>
<p>Just some things of note before we go in:</p>
<p>- Tommy is around 12 years old<br/>- Wilbur is 19 years old<br/>- Techno is 19 years old<br/>- Phil is 45 ig idk man </p>
<p>Now let's go!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If Tommy were to be given a cent for every time he found himself being traded off as payment for a debt owed to a crime family he’d have two cents. It’s not a lot but it’s weird that it’s happened twice. He stood in front Mr. Malum, trying not to look anyone in the eye as the man talked to the leader of the other crime family, the Watson family. Tommy wasn’t deaf, he knew who these men were, one wasn’t kept in the belly of the underworld without hearing about the notorious Watson crime family. There were three of them in total, a small number compared to the currently family he was a part of, but in their case, their small size was nothing to scoff at. Tommy knew only small details about each of the members, most of it was gathered in the car ride here, he knew how evil they were, how murderous, how they killed and tortured for sport. Tommy was terrified. He glanced up at the other men, trying his best to avoid the cat like eyes of Mr. Malum, he was always the one who greeted him with a smack to the face if he ever did something out of turn, looking up without being spoken to would definitely gain him a whack from the man’s backhand, and he was wearing some pretty intense rings right now. Tommy shuddered, glancing down again fearfully before finally, surveying the small group in front of them. </p>
<p>The tallest there was the man on the left. He wore a crisp business suit with a dull mustard tie. His curly hair was combed neatly out of his face and his brown eyes bore into his current families ranks, clearly searching for any weak links. There was such intelligence behind those eyes, but then again, Tommy had heard that all three of them had above average IQs, it explained how they never got caught. He regarded Tommy for a moment, and the young boy swore he could see his lip twitch upwards in to the beginnings of a smile, and his eyes light up just a small bit,  before he shifted his focus to Mr. Malum, his eyes returning to their cold empty state. Despite his tall appearance, the young man was clearly agile, and looked like he would be a cunning fighter. Based on all of this, Tommy had to assume that this was Wilbur, the Watson’s planner of their operations and the oldest member (well after their father).</p>
<p>Tommy then looked to the man on the far right, eyeing him cautiously. A long scar traced down the young man’s face, covering his eye slightly, though it didn’t appear to cause him any upset. Bright pink hair was tied back into an impressively long braid and calculating eyes scanned the crowd in front of him, keeping an eye out for any troublemakers. He wasn’t as tall as Wilbur was, but was more built, looking like a tank when compared to the other two men. He too, wore a sharp suit, this time with a pale salmon tie that stood out against the clean black and white that adorned him. Tommy was positive he could make out the outline of some weapon in the man’s pocket. They locked eyes for a second, Tommy freezing under such a piercing gaze. The other man simply huffed, rolling his eyes slightly, before continuing his watch. There was no doubt about it, this man was defiantly Technoblade, brother to Wilbur and youngest member of the Watson family. He was the muscle, the brawn of their operation but Tommy knows that this man was just as intelligent as the other two. This family didn’t live on stereotypes like the other families around here. That’s why they terrified so many people, Tommy included. They were unpredictable.</p>
<p>Tommy finally looked to the figure who stood in between the two. His suit was just like his son’s suits, only he had a dark green tie on, hidden amongst the whites of his undershirt, like a single tree in a snowy climate. His face contained little, to no emotion whilst he talked to Mr. Malum, only casting his eyes on Tommy for brief moments. His eyes held no emotion when he looked at the young boy, no contempt or anger, no kindness, nothing. Tommy was terrified. This was Phil Watson, <strong><em>the</em></strong> Phil Watson. Famous mafia boss extraordinaire, mass murder and nefarious torturer. He was known throughout the crime underworld as being a man you didn’t want to cross. He had connections everywhere and with the simple click of his fingers he could order the death of your entire organisation if he really wanted to. He was the one whispered to crime family children to keep them well behaved. He was their version of the boogie man, and Tommy was being sold to him.</p>
<p>“I’m sure Tommy here will more than make up for any depts that we may have to you and your family Mr. Watson. He is a hard worker, good at bringing drug shipments to clients without raising eyebrows. We haven’t managed to train him to fight, still too much of a weak little shit for that just yet, but I’m sure you could beat that into him.’ Mr. Malum grinned, a golden tooth catching in the moonlight. Tommy watched Phil’s eyes fill with fire briefly and shrunk back slightly. Phil caught the reaction and tried to calm himself. Tommy didn’t notice, he was too busy trying not to cry over the harsh words and his imminent death. Mr. Malum must have continued to speak because out of nowhere he grasped Tommy’s shoulder tightly and laughed harshly, the sound bouncing around Tommy’s head as he winced at the firm grip. Tommy was trying so hard to mentally check out, to try and escape inside his mind, but that was hard to do when you were being handed off to a torturer. </p>
<p>“Deal, hand him over.” Phil spat, glaring at the other crime boss and Tommy’s heart stopped. He was dead, good as gone. His body wouldn’t even be found, the Watson’s were so good at hiding body’s. He would much rather stay with Mr. Malum and suffer the daily beatings and risk of being caught and sent to juvenal hall then to ever get into a car with this family. Sadly, life didn’t seem to care for what he wanted. Life hadn’t cared about him in a long, long time. Tommy was swiftly pushed towards the Watson family, falling hard down in front of their boss in a lump of tangled limbs. He threw his eyes up to Phil, who looked down at him warmly, before jumping to his feet to stand in front of the man. He said nothing and kept his eyes to the ground, just like Mr. Malum always told him to do. He missed the concerned glances the family through his way, as he was calmly ushered away from his previous family.</p>
<p>“Pleasure doing business with you Mr. Watson” Mr. Malum cheered, and Phil growled under his breath, moving quickly towards the black car across the road. </p>
<p>“Fuck off you cunt.” Wilbur muttered, throwing open the passenger seat and slamming the car door after him. Phil muttered the same profanities but was much calmer as he sat in the driver’s seat. Techno walked up to the door to the back of the car, holding it open for Tommy. The child scrambled inside and tried to make himself as small as possible in the corner of the backseat. Technoblade sidled inside after and gently closed the door. The car took off almost immediately and Tommy watched as the dim alleyways zoomed by with only the little twinkles of streetlights to light the way between them. He slumped further against the side of the car, trying to create as much space between himself and Technoblade as possible. Why did they have to stick the muscle in the back with him, they really were trying to keep him in one place. Tommy closed his eyes tightly and tried to will himself away from this place. To try and imagine himself playing in the park like the children he ran past every day, imagining that he had a family to run home too or cry to when he was scared. He must have been thinking about it for some time because voices suddenly spoke up from the silence.</p>
<p>“I think the kids asleep” Techno murmured, and Tommy tried to maintain his cover. If he was asleep, he might be left alone for longer. But then wasn’t he just delaying the inevitable? He had no clue, but if faking being asleep meant he didn’t have to look at them, then he’d be happy. The car remained in silence for a moment longer before Wilbur sighed angrily.</p>
<p>“I don’t know why you didn’t just shoot him dead there and then Dad, would’ve saved us a lot of trouble in the long run.” Wilbur groaned and Tommy froze. Were they talking about him?</p>
<p>“Wilbur, you know why I’m doing it this way. It’ll be easier to take him down if we build up his trust first. That’s how we’ve always done it in the past and it worked well didn’t it?” Phil argued lightly and Wilbur made a noise of reluctant agreement. Tommy tried not to cry. That was so cruel. To build up his trust like that only to murder him the second he was comfortable around them. Then an idea popped into his head, a brilliant idea, if he does say so himself. What if he always acted like a statue around them? That would delay his death wouldn’t it? Maybe they’d get sick of waiting and leave him on a street corner. He could work with that, being homeless was better than living with them or Mr. Malum. While he schemed ways to appear as silent as possible, he didn’t hear the family light-heartedly complaining about the suits and ties they had to wear that day. He missed the way they joked with one another, how they talked about ordering Chinese or Pizza to the house when they came home. Ignored the way they cooed sympathy in Tommy’s direction and how they promised to give Tommy everything that would make him feel safe. Tommy was too wrapped up in his little world.</p>
<p>===</p>
<p>Tommy didn’t know exactly what he was expecting when the car pulled up to the Watson house. Maybe he was expecting the dingy backrooms of a nightclub that he had been used to, or the penthouse of some expensive apartment building. A small two-story house surrounded by lush greenery, with a local park nearby and a few small shops dotting the horizon was not what he was expecting. He could hear children playing and families laughing. It was surreal and it made Tommy wonder if he had been murdered in the car and just didn’t feel it.</p>
<p>“Tommy.” A soft voice called from outside the car and Tommy jumped to attention. His eyes caught Phil’s eyes and watched as the man smiled, giving him a warm look. Tommy was surprised, he knew that all of this was just a ruse to lull him into a false sense of security, but Phil’s kind eyes looked so genuine. Tommy was calmed, relaxed even, as he stepped out of the car, maintaining eye contact with Phil the entire time. It was almost as if he forgot that Phil had caused the deaths of hundreds of people. “Our house isn’t all that extravagant, but it suits us just fine, I’ll give you a tour when we go in. I sent Will and Techno ahead to clean one of the guest rooms for you, so there might be a bit of delay on your room being ready. We weren’t really expecting you mate!” Phil laughed light-heartedly, and suddenly Tommy felt bad. He was a hindrance on these men. </p>
<p>“I don’t mind sleeping on the floor, I’d always do that in the club at my old place anyway.” Tommy explained quickly, desperately trying to make the men’s lives as easy as possible. If he didn’t cause too much trouble maybe he’d be let go and allowed escape this with his life. Phil’s fiery expression quelled those thoughts instantly. The last time he saw Phil this mad was when they had just left Mr. Malum behind in that alleyway. Tommy flinched back from those eyes, those eyes always carried pain, and he didn’t want another slap. Phil notice Tommy’s fear and quickly tried to school his expression, supressing his rage until he could find a more positive outlet for it later. </p>
<p>“Tommy, I personally would much prefer you slept on an actual bed instead. I’m sure that would be more comfortable, don’t you agree?” Phil asked calmly and Tommy raised an eyebrow at him. This guy was weird, since when do Crime leaders care about how their errand boy feels? Tommy shrugged casually, still maintaining a safe distance between himself and the other man. He still wasn’t a 100% sure if Phil was the kind of man to lash out at people and he wasn’t going to find out from first-hand experience. He’d just have to keep an eye on him. He followed Phil inside and was met with a comfortable living space. A TV was standing over beside the wall with a few video game consoles plugged into it. Books and Magazines decorated the bookshelves and coffee table, some about mundane everyday things, others about things like Geography and Ancient History. Over one of the sofa’s was a pale cream throw blanket. It looked like one of the fluffiest blankets Tommy had ever seen. “Sorry for the mess. The boys tend to just leave books wherever, not that I am completely innocent myself, I’ve been known to leave books in really random areas, think I left one in the fridge one time!” Phil chuckled trying to get a smile out of the young boy. Tommy just huffed lightly, still scared to show any true emotions in case it would get him a hit. Phil sighed before moving on to tour the rest of the house.</p>
<p>“These rooms here are the bedrooms. Mine is this one here, Will’s is at the end of the hallway and Techno’s is beside mine.” Phil explained, pointing to each door as he mentioned his sons’ names. “Yours will be in between Wilbur and Techno’s. Wait, shit, sorry I never introduced them, hold on I’ll get them for you-“ Phil went but Tommy stopped him.</p>
<p>“I know who you are, don’t worry sir.” Tommy murmured, eyes on the oakwood flooring. Phil winced and rubbed a hand on his neck awkwardly.</p>
<p>“Our reputation precedes us I’m guessing?” Phil sighed, trying to get Tommy to look at him. Tommy just nodded, still refusing to look up at the man. By this point Tommy was shaking in fear. Now Phil knows that he is familiar with him and his family. That’s not going to lead to anything good right? Most crime families like to remain hidden, especially this family. Oh my god, Tommy was gonna die right here, right now wasn’t he? They’d forget about their stupid plan that they came up with in the car because he already knew too much. He was going to die. Tommy didn’t want to die.</p>
<p>“Look Tommy, me and my family, we’re not like your last one. I can promise you that. You never have to worry about-“ Phil began to explain when the door to Tommy’s future room banged open. Tommy jumped violently at the sudden loud noise, stepping away from Phil and the affronting door to try and create a safe space for himself. Wilbur collapsed out of it with the gracefulness of a deer on ice. Techno stood over his crumbled body and nodded towards them, then walked closer. </p>
<p>“Room is clean Dad, just had to do a bit of dusting. Enjoy it kid.” Techno stated, his voice as monotone as it had been in the car. He patted Tommy’s shoulder as he passed and Tommy flinched violently, jumping away from the man like he had been burned. He glanced up at Techno, his eyes glazed over and his body shaking in fear. Techno held up his hands placatingly but that seemed to have the opposite effect. Tommy raised his shaking hands to protect his face, backing away until he hit the wall. He slid down it quickly, still trying desperately to hide himself behind his hands. Techno and Phil shared a look of shock, both going to reach for the boy but stopping when he whimpered out in fear. The two men started at each other desperately, trying to figure out what to do now. Tommy started hyperventilating, his mind racing at all the ways he could be murdered by the two men in front of him.  Wilbur watched the chaos unfold from his position on the floor, staring as both his father and brother and the newest addition to their family panic amongst themselves. With a sigh he heaves himself off the floor and turns to enter his room, his absence going unnoticed as Phil tries to get Tommy to copy his breathing from across the hallway. He navigates the landscape of his room making sure to step over the precariously placed shoes and piles of clothes, he never was a tidy person. He quickly grasped the neck of his guitar before turning around to return to the scene of panic. </p>
<p>Tommy couldn’t breathe, his breaths were coming too rapidly for him to control. The corner of his vison was beginning to darken but he still couldn’t bring himself to calm down. Not when he was with a family that had him at death’s doors. He refused to move from his position, his arms still protecting his face from the two men even though they were shaking uncontrollably. He was just about to fall further into hysterics when a noise distracted him, high pitched and twangy. He peeked out behind his arms slightly, curiosity getting the better of his fears as he watched the third member of the family, Wilbur, sit down on the other side of the hallway from him. He was plucking on the strings of a very worn but clearly very loved guitar, humming lightly to himself. Tommy was mesmerised, he’d never seen a guitar before. His hands fell away completely when Wilbur began to sing lowly, his honeyed voice sending waves of peace through Tommy’s shaking body. His voice was enchanting, moving up and down the melody line with the grace of a swan, creating a haunting lullaby like tune. Tommy’s breathing slowed to match the even pace as he stared at Wilbur’s hands, watching as they plucked and glided across the fret board. It was beautiful.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Wilbur stopped and looked up at him with a soft smile. Tommy couldn’t bring himself to flinch, not when the man in front of him had created something so beautiful. Maybe he wasn’t like the other two, maybe he was like Tommy, just lost and confused and so so scared. Wilbur gently placed the guitar down beside him with as much love and care that a father would have towards their new-born. Tommy doesn’t think that anyone has ever treated him with such care before in his life. Unbeknownst to Tommy, Techno and Phil were sat watching the entire scene with wide eyes. This was the calmest Tommy had been since his arrival. </p>
<p>“What was that?” Tommy asked quietly, completely mesmerised by the display in front of him. Wilbur smiled at him again and Tommy couldn’t help moving forward to be closer to him. His entire being was so much warmer when compared to his. Tommy was the artic, a constant landscape of ice, cold and fear. Wilbur was the sunniest places in the world, calm and comforting but not hot enough to burn you. Tommy decided that he liked Wilbur a whole lot more than the other two in that moment. </p>
<p>“It’s a song from a Disney movie I think. Not quite sure really. I learned it when the movie came out and just couldn’t really stop singing it. It’s meant to be a lullaby.” Wilbur explained, looking over to where Techno and Phil now sat on the floor, trying to mimic the calm body language of Wilbur. It felt like Tommy was still on the precipice of another panic attack and the family would do everything in their power to make sure he didn’t slip into another one anytime soon. Wilbur caught Tommy eyeing the guitar curiously and chuckled lightly. He gently picked up the guitar and held it out to the young boy. “You wanna have a go?” Wilbur questioned. </p>
<p>Phil’s eyes widened, he gaped at Wilbur in shock, ignoring his other son’s similarly shocked expression. Wilbur never let anyone touch his guitar, not his family, or his best friends, yet here he was willing to let this child, that had been in their home all but twenty minutes, have a turn with his most prized possession. </p>
<p>“I-I don’t know… What if I break it?” Tommy questioned cautiously, almost scared that even asking the question would get him in trouble. Wilbur shook his head and moved the guitar till it was within Tommy’s reach. Tommy reached a shaking hand forward and gently strummed his fingers over the steel strings. The strings vibrated lightly but didn’t create as loud a noise as Wilbur had done when he played. Tommy looked up at Wilbur again, who nodded encouragingly, and Tommy strummed again, this time harder. A beautiful sound echoed around them and Tommy gasped. He’d made that sound. He was the reason that the hallway was full of that soft strumming. He looked up at Wilbur with wide eyes, a large smile stretched across his face. Wilbur smiled back down at him and allowed him to continue strumming the guitar.</p>
<p>Phil and Techno watched the duo interact briefly, small smiles ghosting their faces. Techno patted his father on the shoulder lightly before sneaking away downstairs to leave the two to have their moment. Phil smiled as his son and his (hopefully) future son smiled at each other and strummed the guitar. Maybe. Just maybe. They’d be okay.</p>
<p>===</p>
<p>Tommy’s peace did not last as long as he hoped it would. He had sat in the hallway with Wilbur for what could have been minutes or days, Tommy couldn’t tell you. He hadn’t felt that calm in years. He didn’t let the other man get too close, he wasn’t 100% ready for someone to share his personal space but he was happy enough to trade off the guitar with Wilbur as the man taught him some basic chords and played him some more music, his soft voice calming Tommy down and making forget the fact that he was sharing a house with a bunch of murderers. Unfortunately, his brain decided to remind him of that fact at 2am that night. </p>
<p>Tommy sat up quickly, his breathing ragged and racing as tears clouded his vision. He had another nightmare, almost as bad as the ones he used to have in the club, back with Mr. Malum. It was always centred around that night. The bad night, one of the worst nights of Tommy’s life. Tommy whimpered at the thought of it and shook his head violently. He didn’t want to go back there. He didn’t want to see that man again. Every time he closed his eyes he was back in that place, on that dingy club room floor with aching bruises and an empty stomach. He couldn’t do that again. His stomach grumbled loudly in complaint, looking for food, and Tommy, who was still in panic mode jumped out of bed. He didn’t know if this family would be like Mr. Malum, he didn’t know if, more likely, when he would be denied food. He’d had to begin stockpiling now, before they noticed anything was up. He crept to the door, opening it quietly and slipped past the small gap he made for himself. He slinked through the hallway, well versed in the act of walking without making a sound. He’d had to use that skill a lot in his old place. He snuck past Phil and Techno’s rooms, creeping down the stairs before he finally arrived in the kitchen. Phil had ordered food from a pizza place for dinner and Tommy had never seen so much food in one place, he wasn’t even sure when the last time he had pizza was. He assumed there’d have to be leftovers in the house somewhere. </p>
<p>Tommy eventually reached the kitchen, refusing to turn on the light in case it alerted someone to his presence. He looked around quickly trying to find any scraps of food that would be somewhat salvageable from the pizza boxes that littered the countertops. Tommy carefully moved the boxes around until he had an empty one and began stockpiling any items of food he could find into it, fruit, leftover pizza slices, some slices of meat from the fridge, anything. He was so wrapped up in his foraging that he failed to hear the tell-tale sounds of someone coming down the stairs. He failed to hear them clear their throat and yawn in exhaustion. He only noticed their presence when the light to the kitchen was flipped on. Tommy stood frozen, slices of pizza still clasped in his hands as he met eyes with the confused Technoblade.</p>
<p>“Em hi?” Techno tried but Tommy merely flinched, dropping the pizza slices on the floor and going into full panic mode. </p>
<p>“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to steal, I was just- I didn’t know when I could eat again. I’m sorry please, please don’t kill me.” Tommy cried out, the nightmare too fresh in his mind for him to censor his thoughts. Techno’s expression went dark quickly before returning to his usual bored expression. He didn’t say anything, simply reached down and grabbed the slices of pizza from the floor.</p>
<p>“Have you ever had floor pizza kid?” Techno asked, moving to put the slices on a plate. Tommy shook his head in confusion, watching as the man moved to gather more slices of pizza and place them on a separate plate. “Floor pizza is pretty good, but I don’t want you to experience it just yet. That’s more of a “helping Wilbur get over a heartbreak” kind of meal” the man chuckled, and Tommy merely nodded in confusion, unsure of what to say next. Techno moved to sit down on the floor placing the plate of floor pizza beside him before looking over at Tommy imploringly. “Sit down kid, I don’t bite, here have some non-floor pizza” he smiled, pushing the plate across the floor to the other boy.</p>
<p>Tommy gawked at him in confusion. This was Technoblade, THE TECHNOBLADE!!! He was supposed to be a cold-hearted killer who slashed through anybody in his way and tortured innocent civilians for even looking at him funny. He was not supposed to be sitting in the kitchen in some stupid pyjamas with dogs on them and his long pink hair ruffed and in tangles. This was not exactly the image that popped to mind when Tommy thought of him, though he found he liked this image a whole lot more. Tommy nodded shakily before sitting down carefully, still maintaining a safe distance between himself and the other man. He grabbed his plate of pizza and the two began to eat in silence. Tommy kept glancing up at Techno in confusion and it wasn’t long till Techno got sick of it.</p>
<p>“Just ask the question kid, I know you’re dying to.” Techno mumbled and a billion question flew through Tommy’s head. He wanted to ask what they planned to do with him, if they really were going to trick him and then murder him in cold blood. He wanted to know if Wilbur was like him, just another boy held captive and forced to be an errand boy. He wanted to know if Phil hit them or denied them food. He wanted to know a lot of things. Instead, he went with the option which was least likely to find him in buried headless in a ditch somewhere.</p>
<p>“Why is your hair pink?” He asked quietly and Techno hummed, biting into a slice of pizza before responding.</p>
<p>“Dunno, felt like dying it I suppose. Went through a lot of colours before I found the one I liked.” Techno explained and Tommy nodded in understanding.</p>
<p>“What colour was your hair originally?” Tommy continued and Techno stopped for a moment, looking like he had to think about it. Seriously, who was this man? There was no way this man in front of him was the Technoblade he’d heard all the stories about. </p>
<p>“Brown, just like Wilbur’s. It’s a twin thing I guess.” Techno shrugged, digging into his pizza again.</p>
<p>“You and Wilbur are twins!” Tommy gawked. How could two men of such differing personalities be related? Techno was shrouded in mystery, his character almost equivalent to a fog you couldn’t escape from. Wilbur, as he’s already established in his mind, was the welcoming sun.</p>
<p>“Not technically, I mean we were born on the same day, Wilbur is older by like seven minutes I think? Don’t really care if I’m honest. Wilbur’s just been calling us twins ever since I was adopted by Dad.” Techno explained and Tommy glanced at him curiously. </p>
<p>“Adopted?” he asked nervously. Tommy knew he was stepping into unknown territory here, he wasn’t sure if he would accidentally insult the man if he continued questioning him. Thankfully, Techno seemed uncaring to the whole ordeal. </p>
<p>“My situation was similar to yours, maybe, I don’t really know what you’ve been through kid. There was this rival gang, the Blood Gods, that’s what they called themselves. More of a volatile hate group if you ask me but whatever. Don’t really know how they found me, don’t know if my birth parents were part of the gang or if they left me to them, either way they found me. Apparently I was a pretty feisty child, tried to bite a few of the members whenever they tried to hit me, gave the boss some ideas.” Techno sighed, placing his pizza plate down beside him as he raked a hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down. He didn’t like returning to these memories, but if it helped Tommy to trust in him, then he would. </p>
<p>“Did he try to kill you?” Tommy asked quietly and Techno choked out a disgusted laugh.</p>
<p>“Sometimes I wish he had. No instead he reckoned he’d train me, make me into this strong weapon that they could unleash on people that they didn’t like. They reasoned that nobody would suspect a child of being a murdered. Guess they were right. Trained me every day from that point on, until I was hacking up blood and couldn’t stand on my own two feet from exhaustion. A knife was thrust into my hands at seven years old, and by eight I had the blood of twenty men on my hands. I was unstoppable. I was <em>THE BLADE</em>” Techno exclaimed, curling in on himself slightly. He remembers what it was like back then, the cold concrete room, the starvation, the blood, so much blood.</p>
<p>“What happened then, how’d you get out?” Tommy questioned and Techno noticed he had moved closer to the other man since the beginning of his story. He said nothing of it and continued on.</p>
<p>“Phil happened. He was an up-and-coming crime leader at the time and was getting rid of any rival gangs that were causing problems in his areas. He found my group and killed them all in fifteen minutes before he got to my room. I asked him what I looked like that day curled up in the corner with the blood of hundreds of strangers on me, hands covering my ears as I cried silently. He said I looked like a kid, an innocent child. He adopted me on the spot, and I’ve been with him ever since. I’m fucking blessed to call that man my father.” Techno finished, he always liked the ending of that story. He wished he could go back and tell young Techno that his future was going to be so bright, tell him that there was no need to hurt himself anymore and that help was on the way. Another part of him reasoned that these things happen for a reason. </p>
<p>“I don’t understand though. Why do you continue to work as Phil’s bodyguard, even after everything that’s happened to you? Isn’t Phil just as bad as them?” Tommy cried in confusion and it took all of Techno’s willpower to not growl and scream at Tommy for that statement. The Blood Gods were nothing like Phil, Phil was kind, benevolent. Sure, he killed people, but he killed the right people. He never hurt people without a good reason for doing so. But Tommy didn’t know that. Tommy had been raised by a rival gang for presumably his whole life. Tommy didn’t know any better than what he was taught.</p>
<p>“I think the stories you’ve heard about this family have been mostly that, stories. Y’know we don’t kill without reason right? We don’t torture and maim the innocent. The only people that we go after are the ones that have done harm to others, like how The Blood Gods did harm to me. We kill the ones that shouldn’t even exist in the first place.” Techno explained calmly looking to the boy to see if he understood him. A look of confusion flashed on Tommy’s face before settling on belief. Tommy believed him. He nodded slightly and the two returned to silence until their pizzas were finished. Tommy picked up the plates while Techno cracked his spine, he was getting too old to sit hunched over on the floor with a twelve-year-old. Just as he was about to turn to head back upstairs a short tug on his pyjamas stopped him. He turned, surprised to find that Tommy had initiated the contact between them, albeit contact between some material.</p>
<p>“Mr. Malum.” Tommy began and Techno nodded for him to continue. Him, Wilbur and Phil all knew that something had happened to the boy, someone had done something awful to him. Maybe now he would finally find out what. </p>
<p>“He- He was never as bad as that, he never trained me to be a killer y’know? He- He just hit me lot, broke my ribs whenever I smuggled drugs too slowly. He’d always send me out to do the drug runs, he said it was because nobody would ever suspect the kid with the Minecraft backpack to be smuggling heroin and cocaine. I felt so bad, walking past all those families in the park, I always wanted that y’know. Mr. Malum, he always said I never deserved it. Beat me to a pulp one night when I asked him if I could play in the park after one of my shipment runs. No one ever helped me, ever. They stood around and watched as he kicked me again and again. They watched when he starved me, forcing all of them to refuse me food if I ever dreamed of asking. They STOOD THERE and watched when he-“ Tommy cut himself off with a gasp and curled in on himself slightly. Techno looked at him in alarm as Tommy began to sob quietly, what had happened to this boy? When Tommy’s tears didn’t seem to slow down, Techno struggled with how to placate him until he eventually settled for humming in understanding and delivering the corniest line he thinks he’s ever uttered under Phil’s roof. </p>
<p>“Well just know that kind of shit, will never happen here, and if anyone ever does anything to you, you come tell me. Us crime family victims, we got to stick together.” Techno smirked, on the inside he was cringing. That was the cheesiest shit he’d ever said. Still, it was worth it, especially when Tommy looked up at him with tear-soaked eyes like he’d just told him the greatest news of his whole life. Techno couldn’t wait till they got their hands on Mr. Malum. He wouldn’t live to see another day.</p>
<p>===</p>
<p>Tommy awoke late the next morning, having slept on a full stomach and with the peace of mind that he had one of Phil’s kids looking out for him, Tommy must have subconsciously felt that it was safe to sleep for as long as he needed it. God did he need it, it felt like years since Tommy had last had a full night’s sleep, back in the club he was kicked awake every morning at 6am sharp, even if he had only gone to bed the previous night at 4am. It was an exhausting routine and Tommy wasn’t even aware of how much he needed to sleep till he slept last night. He blinked blearily up at the ceiling and listened to the house, trying to get a feel for who was awake. He had no idea how early it was, he assumed he was the only one awake. </p>
<p>He assumed wrong it would seem, somewhere in the house he could hear the faint sound of someone walking around, moving pots and pans and muttering away to themselves. Whatever they were doing, it was creating a beautiful scent, one that Tommy had never smelt before. Curiosity <s>and his stomach</s> won out against his desire to stay in bed. He slipped out from under the comfortable covers and went to his door, opening it slowly and peeking out into the hallway. Nobody was around, but he could hear the person in the kitchen clearer now. He recognised the voice instantly. It was Wilbur. Tommy smiled giddily, racing to the stairs and hopping down them to greet the man. Wilbur was a comforting presence already, he hoped he wouldn’t get hurt by Phil. He’d gladly take some beatings for the man if it meant that he would be able to hang out with him more. Tommy glided into the kitchen and Wilbur looked over at him, a large smile gracing his face.</p>
<p>“Morning Tommy, Dad and Tech had to go run some errands, so it’ll be just the two of us this morning.” Wilbur explained and Tommy felt any remaining tension leak out of him at that. Phil wasn’t even in the house right now. Tommy was 100% safe. Wilbur said nothing as he watched the tension drain from the younger boy, he only wished that soon it would never be an ever presence fixture to the boy’s posture. “You want some pancakes? I made extra cause I knew Dad and Tech were going out early this morning” he explained, and Tommy paused at that. Techno had stayed up with him late into the night despite the fact that he had to be up somewhere the next morning at who knows when o’clock. Tommy felt his heart warm and smiled slightly. He nodded to Wilbur’s question, sitting at the table eagerly. He’d never had pancakes before, he was excited. </p>
<p>As it turns out, pancakes were quite literally the greatest thing that Tommy had ever eaten in his entire life. The insides were soft and fluffy while the outside was covered in a syrup, golden sauce that Wilbur called Maple Syrup and some warm butter on top. Tommy was in love, if he could eat them every day he would in heartbeat. Though, a part of him reasons, he probably wouldn’t be able to have these on the streets when he eventually ends up there. He definitely wouldn’t be able to have them when he was dead. Tommy felt his mood damping slowing his eating until eventually he was only moving the soaked-up pieces of cake from one side of the plate to the other. Wilbur watched him nervously, Techno had told both him and Dad about the conversation he had with Tommy last night. His father was furious and almost blew their plans right then and there, but it was surprisingly Technoblade that calmed him and encouraged them to stick to the plan. He had such an angry blaze in his eyes that Wilbur didn’t argue against him. Whatever Technoblade has in store for Mr. Malum would have him begging for death faster than Wilbur or Phil could ever deliver it.</p>
<p>Still, that was a plan that didn’t concern Tommy, Tommy didn’t need to know about, Wilbur would ensure that he never did hear about it. He wanted Tommy to feel safe here, to put his past behind him. If he wanted to return to the Crime Family business, then Wilbur would gladly teach him the ropes and keep him safe, if he didn’t then he would help the boy out in any way he could as well. He already cared so much for this underfed, blond child, perhaps it was because he saw so much of himself in him. After a few more minutes of glancing at Tommy pushing food around his plate in a forlorn fashion, Wilbur bit the bullet and opened his mouth.</p>
<p>“Tech told me you two had a conversation last night, hope he didn’t bore you too much?” Wilbur questioned jokingly, cringing slightly at the look of fear that had replaced Tommy’s sorrowful expression. He gaped like a fish at Wilbur for a moment before trembling slightly, Wilbur panicked and jumped straight into recovery mode. “Wait no it’s okay, it’s not a bad thing, it’s good actually. Really good. I’m glad you’re opening up to us, even if it’s only a little. It’s a lot better than what I decided to do. Word to the wise Toms, keeping it all bottled up won’t help you in the slightest. You’ll just end up in a shouting match with someone and they always end in tears, not the biggest fan of tears, I try to avoid them when I can” Wilbur rambled and Tommy nodded slowly in understanding, the spooked, shaking gone from his form. “I can tell you my story, if you’d like? Might help you get more comfortable around here and help you trust Phil more” he smiled, and Tommy caught his eye in shock.</p>
<p>“How did you-“ Tommy began before slamming his mouth shut. A flush of embarrassment danced across his cheeks and Wilbur couldn’t help but crack a smile at the behaviour. He was so glad that the boy’s childish naivety hadn’t been completely whipped from him.</p>
<p>“You act just like Techno did when he first arrived here. Always hunched over on himself, watching Phil’s ever move, only ever relaxing when Phil was gone. If my story can show you that he’s not as bad as he seems, I’m willing to give it a shot. It worked for Tech, might work for you too.” Wilbur broached and after a few moments, Tommy nodded. He pushed his plate away from in front of him and turned to give Wilbur his full attention. The man chuckled before clearing his throat slightly, beginning his piece.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t like you or Tech, I was actually kind of lucky in that sense. Wasn’t found be a rival gang, wasn’t beaten to a pulp my whole life, wasn’t trained to be a killer or a smuggler. No, my parents were addicts, into the hardest drugs money could buy at the time. Meth, Weed, Cocaine you name it, they probably took it. It wasn’t the best environment for a growing kid, they never hit me or anything, they just didn’t notice I was there. I’m honestly shocked I lived as long as I did before I met Phil, nobody was feeding me, I was living off scraps. Mom and Dad spent all the money they found, be that by robbing or swindling people for cash, on the drugs they’d pump themselves full of.” Wilbur chuckled lowly, this wasn’t hard for him to remember, he was taken in by Phil at such a young age that he barely remembers his birth parents. It doesn’t hurt him as much as one would think it would. Tommy sat patiently listening to Will’s story, acting as if it was a Fairy tale rather than the tragic tale of substance abuse taken too far. Wilbur smiled sadly at him, upset that this child’s life had been so corrupted by drugs and greed, before continuing. </p>
<p>“One day, Mom and Dad got low on cash, really low. They owed money to this gang, Phil’s old gang, and decided the perfect payment in exchange for a packet of heroin was their only son. Phil said they arrived to the drop off point, holding me in their arms, a child of five years old that was simply skin and bones. He traded for me on the spot. Leaving the gang shortly after so they wouldn’t trace the profit loss back to him. Set up his own business a year or so later, then found Tech two more years after that. We’ve been a family since the day he found me, and I guess we continue to grow.’ Wilbur smiled at Tommy, hoping he got the implied idea behind his last sentence. Unfortunately, it looked like he didn’t, the idea of him being part of the family flew right over his head. </p>
<p>“So… Phil doesn’t deal drugs?” Tommy asked shakily, wringing his wrists together to ease his frayed nerves. Wilbur shook his head, watching as Tommy relaxed further. It looked like his plan was actually working. Inside his head Wilbur cheered excitedly, he really wanted Tommy to trust them, the quicker he trusted them, the more info they could get on that Mr. Malum and use it on him.</p>
<p>“No, never, hates them actually. He believes they lie as the root of all evil in the underground of society, well all the hardcore ones. He thinks weed is harmless enough, but still won’t deal in it. He doesn’t want to get people hooked, thinks it’s too backhanded and cruel to force people to rely on him for their fix of happiness. Dad’s business, our business really, is more of a vigilante sort of thing I guess, to put it simply. We kinda blackmail and kill people that deserve to die, like the people who hurt Techno and now I guess the people who hurt you.” Wilbur explained, trying to help Tommy see the hope that is in store for him. Tommy’s eyes widened in surprise briefly, before returning to their calculated state, the young boy was always thinking of something. The next question came quicker than Wilbur thought it would.</p>
<p>“So Phil… doesn’t hit you? Doesn’t like, take things from you or keep food away from you?” Tommy asked carefully, his voice shaking, and his body scrunched up with nerves. It took all of Wilbur’s power to not explode over those words. Who the fuck had hurt this kid?! Oh, that’s right, that Mr. Malum guy, who Wilbur planned on torturing within an inch of his life. Fucker deserved to die after what he did to this kid. Wilbur shook his head in answer to Tommy’s question and Tommy relaxed ever so slightly. Wilbur decided to add to his peace of mind. </p>
<p>“Dad’s never hurt us, even accidentally. I don’t think I’ve even seen him yell at any of us before. He’s always so incredibly patient, even when I went through that god awful teenage phase where I just wanted to curse out the world and thought all adults were full of shit. He’s great actually. He gives really good hugs too, I recommend you try and get one off him, not that it would be too hard to do, that man loves hugs!” Will laughed and Tommy found himself smiling too. Maybe things weren’t as bad as he thought they were going to be. Maybe …. Maybe he could be safe here. </p>
<p>“My parents did the same thing as yours.” Tommy began, moving his attention back to the plate of soggy cold pancakes. Wilbur nodded for him to continue, eager to learn more about the younger. “They were addicts that couldn’t make payment, sold me to Mr. Malum, he liked the idea of a child runner. He got what he wanted, and my parents got to get rid of their son, a match made in heaven.” He spat and Wilbur thinks that’s the first time he’s ever seen the other boy angry. Tommy clenched and unclenched his fists in anger before looking at the other man. “Is it bad Will, that I don’t miss them? I don’t care about them at all. If you told they had died or even that they were dying I wouldn’t care. Does that make me a bad person?” He questioned, the anger dripping out of his voice before settling on utter heartache. Wilbur’s heart broke in response and he moved over to wrap an arm around Tommy’s shoulder, he didn’t flinch away from it, in fact, he moved closer into his side.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I think that makes you incredibly grown-up Toms. What they did to you was inexcusable. What that fucking evil man did to you was inexcusable. You’re allowed to be angry Tommy, I’d be kinda worried if you weren’t if I’m honest.” Wilbur explained, rubbing the boy’s shoulders in comfort. Tommy couldn’t take it anymore. He burst into tears turning and hiding himself in Wilbur’s chest as he accepted the first hug he’s had in years by one of the kindest people in the world. Wilbur smiled sadly down at him, cooing gentle encouragements as he hugged the boy tightly, running a hand through his hair. Wilbur would protect this boy for as long as he lived, after all, he did promise Phil that he would always look out for his brothers.</p>
<p>===</p>
<p>Tommy sat in his bedroom, his back against the wall as he wrapped the quilt around his body. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he was taken in by this family. He was expecting blood, torture, gore and calamity. He was expecting hits, punches, jeers and kicks. He was expecting drugs, panic, running until he couldn’t breathe anymore. He was expecting to be put through hell again and again until he eventually couldn’t anymore and was disposed of in the harshest and most damaging way possible. Yes, Tommy was expecting a lot of things, but they were all worst-case scenarios, ways that would lead to him feeling immeasurable pain and suffering. </p>
<p>He wasn’t expecting the kind, warm looks and the equally kind and inviting house. He wasn’t expecting the well light rooms and the lack of crime talk. He wasn’t expecting the abundance of food or the lack of weapons. He wasn’t expecting to find people with similar stories to himself, wasn’t expecting kind faces on the people he had been raised to believe were evil, uncaring beasts of men that would kill him in a heartbeat. He wasn’t expecting the warm hug he got off Wilbur, or the food Techno had eaten with him. He wasn’t expecting this at all, which is why it would be so much harder when he was forced to leave. They wouldn’t want him around, Phil wouldn’t want him around. Wilbur had little to no issues, he understood why Phil kept him around, he was easy to take care of. Techno was a powerhouse and could protect them all when and if things went south. Tommy was nothing, a nobody. He wasn’t fast, he wasn’t strong. He had an awful backstory and trauma that would make a comic book villain look problem free in comparison. He was a mess, there was no reason for Phil to keep him, for Phil to welcome him into his home.</p>
<p>So why did he so desperately want to stay when he knew it was futile. Why does he always go for the things he can never have?</p>
<p>Tommy curled in on himself, willing the tears that were gathering on his eyelids to go away and never fall. He doesn’t think he’s ever cried this much in his entire life, this family brings it out in him. He doesn’t understand why, why ever small act of kindness, every extended olive branch made his lip wobble and his eyes fill with tears. He truly is the weakest bitch of them all.  Tommy wrapped his arms around his knees tightly, squeezing his eyes shut as he willed himself away from this place, away from everything that had hurt him or was going to hurt him. Tommy was so confused. What had he done to deserve this treatment, was he really that bad a person that the universe decided to punish him like this? A brief series of soft taps on his door knocked Tommy out of his stupor. Tommy started at it, wondering if it was Techno or Wilbur. He should let this person in, but then they’d see him in this state. He didn’t want them to pity him, he didn’t deserve it.</p>
<p>“Tommy? It’s me Phil, I can hear you crying mate… Are you okay?” Phil called from the otherside of the door and Tommy winced, of course it had to be Phil. Out of all the people in the house to see Tommy in such a state, it had to be Phil. He’s sure that if Techno or Wilbur saw him crying like this they’d be okay with it, they knew what it was like, to have a shitty childhood. Well at least Techno did. Tommy was too wound up in his thoughts that he didn’t hear Phil’s continuing calls until it was too late. “Tommy I’m coming in okay?” he warned before slowly opening the door, the thin beam of light on the floor widening across the room as Phil entered. Tommy curled further into the corner of his bed, desperate for the man to ignore him, pretend he wasn’t there. Unfortunately for him, Phil met his eyes instantly, his warm expression melting into one of concern as he saw the trembling child. “Oh Tommy” he cooed gently, moving till he was sitting on the opposite end of the bed from the boy. </p>
<p>Phil was somewhat familiar with this scene, Techno hadn’t been much different when he first arrived to the house. He would flinch and jump at any loud noise and god forbid Phil let out one of those Dad sneezes, it used to cause the young boy to freeze like a statue and gaze up at him with terrified eyes. Phil decided to take the same approach that he took with Techno all those years ago, sure him and Tommy came from different backgrounds, but he’ll try this method first. If it doesn’t work, then he’ll try something new. Phil had always been known for his patience, especially when it came to his children. He moved until he was fully seated on the bed facing Tommy with his legs crossed and his palms held open and facing the ceiling. He relaxed his posture, taking a few calming breaths before focusing his eyes on Tommy, giving him a soft smile.</p>
<p>“Do you wanna talk about it mate?” Phil questioned, warm, sincere eyes looking at the young boy. Tommy’s eyes widened as he took in the relaxed posture of the man in front of him. This wasn’t the kind of posture that Wilbur or Techno had taken when they talked to him, it was much more open, so relaxed and accepting. Tommy uncurled from his corner and gazed at Phil quizzically. Tommy had been here for a few days now and Phil had yet to raise a hand to him. He’d yet to deny Tommy food, or shout at him, call him names or force him to do any drug runs. Phil seemed….. genuinely nice? It was confusing to him.</p>
<p>“I… I just don’t understand.” Tommy began, looking at Phil in confusion. Phil nodded his head encouraging the boy to continue and Tommy froze. This was it, now or never. He could say what he was thinking about, risk getting cast out, pushed away from the only people he had ever felt some semblance of safety with. He wasn’t 100% sure how Phil would react to his question, he’d never asked it to Wilbur or to Techno, he had no idea what the reaction might be. Still, both Techno and Wilbur had said that Phil was a great guy, the kindest man they’d ever met. They call him their father. Tommy longs for that. Maybe if he just asked, he might get it.</p>
<p>“Why haven’t you gone through with your plan?” Tommy asked, looking at Phil with cold eyes. He tried to show no fear, but it was hard to miss the tell-tale trembling of his clenched fists and the way he worried his lip between his teeth. </p>
<p>“What plan?” Phil asked, genuinely confused. Unless his sons were planning something nice for the boy behind his back he heard no such thing of a plan being mentioned in their house.</p>
<p>“In the car, you mentioned… you talked about… how you wanted to earn my trust and then k-kill me? Why would you want to do that? I don’t understand where I went wrong… Do- Do you still want to do that?” Tommy asked, tears gathering in his eyes for the umpteenth time, he was frankly getting sick of them, they made him into this blubbering mess and Tommy refused to be that. He needed to stop crying but that was hard to do when everything he had grown to love was at risk of being torn away from his grip.</p>
<p>Phil, on the other hand felt sick. Techno had been wrong, Tommy hadn’t been asleep in the car that time. He heard every grizzly detail of their planned murder, he knew everything. And what’s worse, what was absolutely heart-breaking for Phil to comprehend, was the fact that Tommy thought they were talking about <strong><em>him.</em></strong> They thought they wanted to kill <em><strong>him</strong></em>, to break his trust and torture him for who knows how long. That was why he was so terrified on the first day, that is why he’s been avoiding him like the plague. Tommy doesn’t want to die. Phil sucked in breath through his teeth harshly, startling the young boy and causing Phil to wince. He had to fix this quickly.</p>
<p>“Oh Tommy, no Bubba, not happening. I’m sorry I let you live with us in confusion and fear for so long. Tommy those plans weren’t for you, they were for Mr. Malum” Phil explain, desperate to reach out and comfort the boy, to hug him close and try and ease his fears. God, why had they even discussed those stupid plans in the presence of a child, whether he be awake or not, it was idiotic. Thinking back on it, the day when Tommy was taken in by them, emotions had been high. All three of them were blinded with rage at the blatant mistreatment of the boy. So blind that they failed to think things through and caused the boy much more upset than was needed. “I took you in that night, We took you in that night because you remind me of the boys, so broken and lost and needing someone to help them along the way. The moment I saw you I knew you had to be with us, you had to be part of our family…. If that’s something you want?” he questioned, hoping for a positive answer. If Tommy said no, he’d be upset sure, Wilbur and Techno would be devastated, but they would be sure to find a home that would take care of Tommy to the best of their abilities. </p>
<p>Tommy meanwhile was stunned. They had never planned to kill him, they never panned on hurting him in any way. They just wanted him to be part of their family, not their crime family, but their real family. They wanted him to be there when they woke up, they wanted to eat meals with him and watch TV with him. They wanted to hold him when he cried, wanted to ensure his safety and make sure he was feeling alright. They were so genuine in their love and care for him that they were willing to kill for it. Tommy held back a chocked sob that managed to escape anyway, much to his chagrin. Phil looked at him in alarm, failing to notice how he had moved just that little bit closer to the now whimpering boy. Tommy did however. Tommy saw how desperate the man was to comfort him, how desperate he was to make all his worries go away. Tommy wanted him to do that. </p>
<p>“Please let me stay” Tommy cried out, looking at Phil with a pleading expression. Phil smiled at the boy with exasperated fondness, as if he already hadn’t been considered family since he was first shoved in front of Phil. Phil extended his arms out, offering the boy a hug and Tommy dived into it, burying his face in the man’s chest and letting himself cry. Phil instantly wrapped his arms around the young boy, holding him close and whispering comforting words in his ear. He rubbed calming circles on Tommy’s back as he cried heavily into the man’s comforting grip, gasping heavily between cries. A knock was heard on the door and it open to reveal both Techno and Wilbur, standing in the entryway  with worried expressions. Phil smiled at his boys, motioning for them to join in the hug. Wilbur was the first, as he usually was, approaching with a quite ‘hi Tommy’ before hugging his father and the young boy tightly. All three looked at Techno imploringly and Techno rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. </p>
<p>“Look, I’m not big on the whole group hug thing…” Techno began but trailed off once he saw Tommy’s pleading glance. He instantly crumbled. Damn that kid, making him do cheesy things. He grumbled, marching over to the bed, wrapping his family around him easily and sighing with fake exasperation. “Just this once, okay Tommy?” he murmured, and he felt the young boy giggle against him. Okay, maybe Techno could be persuaded to give out a few more… maybe. </p>
<p>The group remained like that for what could’ve been minutes, hours, Tommy didn’t care. He felt completely and utterly safe, tucked in between these people who cared so much about him for absolutely no reason at all. There was a murmured “welcome to the family” at one point during their cuddle pile and Tommy smiled brightly when he heard it.</p>
<p>He was finally home.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks so much everyone!! If you're interested I was thinking of writing a small little sequel where Tommy meets Tubbo, the SBI deal with Tommy's abuser, and "that bad night" that Tommy couldn't talk about is explained, let me know if you'd like to see it!</p>
<p>Thanks again guys love you all &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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